Withering Ice
by Take-2-Pay-4-1
Summary: A SEQUEL TO ARTEMIS FOWL AND THE GAMES OF HUNGER! The 80th Hunger Games are over and while Artemis Fowl's trip in the future might not have caused too many paradoxes, the consequences of Silyah Natho's actions might have changed some parts of the past. With new faces in District 3, a nearing Victory Tour and the People's secret in the balance, will a new victor's sanity hold up?
1. Prologue

_«Searching for file: Withering_Ice…»_

_«Requested file found. Opening File...»_

_«Greetings, I am D.E.X.T.E.R, before you can proceed with reading this top secret manuscript I have to inform you that the authors do not claim the copyrights of Artemis Fowl (Eoin Colfer) and The Hunger Games/Catching Fire (Suzanne Collins)...»_

_«Next, I need to notify you that the timeline for the events in this fictional story is set after "Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony" and "The Hunger Games," as well as after "Artemis Fowl and the Games of Hunger" taking in consideration that the events from "Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay" never happened. Now that you have been properly informed you may proceed with reading this file, but keep in mind that all documents found on this server may contain spoilers, proceed at your own risk.»_

_**Prologue**_

_**Fowl Manor, Dublin, Ireland. A few hours after Artemis's return from Panem...**_

The sun had long left the sky when Artemis Fowl decided that he could no longer stand the four walls of his study. Ever since his parents had put the twins to sleep and had left his side to go on with their usual activities, a strange feeling had been looming over the boy... Almost like an electric current going through his veins. It felt irrational for him to be anxious and nervous, and yet he was...

Sighing, the Fowl heir made his way to the kitchen, hoping that he would find there some type of distraction to escape his thoughts. The boy was in the process of pouring himself a glass of water when a deep voice surprised him.

"Is everything alright, sir?"

Artemis looked over at the owner of the voice. It was his trusty manservant, Butler. "Yes, I am fine. Thank you."  
The tall man observed his Principal. "Are you sure about that? You seem a bit restless since that meeting with N°1."

"I can assure you that I am alright."

The man took a seat at the kitchen counter. "Then perhaps it has nothing to do with your meeting..." guessed Butler, trying to read through Artemis's mask. The boy did not reply; if he did, his life-long friend would have the opportunity to make assumptions Artemis did not especially want him to make. "If I did not know you better..." started the butler as a small grin began to spread on his lips, "No... That couldn't be," he then said, shaking his head.

"What _couldn't be_?" asked Artemis, raising the eyebrow over his hazel eye.

"It's just that I know this look," shrugged Butler. "Worried, anxious, a bit hopeful... As I said, if I did not know you any better, I'd say that all this is because of a girl." Ever since Artemis's birth, Butler had been prepared to see all kinds of things, but he knew that women were a foreign territory to his friend and that he usually avoided encounters with them.  
Artemis felt his blood rushing away from his face for a brief moment, only to come back rather visibly on his cheeks. The raven-haired boy turned his gaze away from Butler. "You are right, you know me better. The conclusion you have drawn is inaccurate."

Butler's smile grew a bit wider. "Is it Minerva?"

"What?" Artemis looked back at the man as if the idea was completely ridiculous. "No. Minerva? Really? I haven't spoken to her in weeks, Butler."  
"But it is about a girl, am I correct?"  
Artemis turned his head away again. What could he say? Eventually, the boy sighed, granting Butler a shy nod. "Yes, I am afraid you might be correct."

The manservant tried to contain his enthusiasm. "So, a girl who is _not_ Minerva?" He had to admit; he really wondered how Artemis had met one of those.  
"Yes," exhaled the boy. "And if I may add, I really don't see why you are getting so thrilled over this, Butler." _Especially since she is not even born yet._

"It's most likely the part of me that feels like I am a fatherly figure in your life," replied the man.  
Artemis fought the urge to roll his mismatching eyes. "If you must know, it's nothing big, Butler. She is simply nice and we have some things in common." For instance, they both went through the most traumatic experience of their lives together.

"That's always a good place to start," Butler pointed out. "Just out of curiosity, why are you so nervous?"

"I invited her over and I am not certain that she will accept my offer."

"Does she live in the region?"

"Not exactly..."

"Where did you two meet?"

"We met at a scientific gathering focusing on the technologies of the future," lied Artemis. "I attended it a few weeks ago, don't you recall?"  
Butler nodded, slightly squinting. He remembered the convention, but not the girl in question. "Of course..." he said slowly. "She must be clever if she caught your eye."

Artemis tried his best not to smile as the different moments he had spent with Silyah flashed through his mind. "Yes, she is clever."

"Pretty?" offered Butler. Despite his efforts, Artemis was unable to hold back his blush. "I'll take this as a yes," laughed Butler. "Did she seem to be... Interested?"

Artemis nearly choked on the sip of water he had just taken. Once he managed to stop coughing, he turned to face his manservant. "There is a possibility that she might be, but as you are well aware of, reading women's emotions is not exactly my strongest suit, old friend."

"Well, she did keep in touch with you after the convention if you actually managed to invite her here, am I right?"

The boy gave a simple nod. There was no need to explain the fact that she was from the future...

"In this case, I think that you have your chances," said Butler, encouragingly as he gave Artemis a light pat on the shoulder.

The raven-haired boy tried to smile, but his attempt failed rather quickly. If he took things from a realistic point of view, he didn't actually have much of a chance unless Silyah stayed in the past, and that would be very improbable, perhaps dangerous considering the paradoxes it might cause.

"When is she dropping by for a visit?" asked Butler.

"If she accepts invitation, she should be here tomorrow morning."

"Who should I keep an eye out for?" The manservant was almost smirking.

"Her name is Silyah Natho. She is about my height and has long curly brown hair, pale blue eyes and skin just as pale as mine."

"That's rather specific," laughed Butler. As a man who loved romance novels, he was really glad for Artemis, but as a bodyguard, he would have to make sure to remain professional.

"As you are well aware of, I pay a lot of attention to details."

Butler sighed, "Yes, that is indeed very much like you."

Artemis acquiesced, hiding a smile under his hand as his mind sent him memories of a certain Effie Trinket. She had always made a point of telling Beetee how observant she was... Oddly enough, she had been right about Silyah and Artemis before they even knew that they would end up relatively close to each other.

"If you excuse me, I think that I will head for bed," said Artemis after a short moment.

"Expecting her early tomorrow?"

"Hopefully..."

"I can't wait to meet her," Butler smiled once more.

"Oh, before it's too late, don't tell Juliet about this. She would not give me a moment of peace if she learned about my guest."

"Alright," replied Butler. "Try not to worry too much and get a good night of sleep. I'm sure she'll come."

Artemis gave a small nod before leaving the kitchen, heading back to his bedroom. He had to admit; telling Butler about Silyah had made him feel a bit better.

He knew that she would be clever enough to find and crack his code.


	2. Chapter One, Elijah

**Part I, "The Secret"**

_**Chapter One, Elijah**_

_**Victors' Village, District 3, Panem. Almost six months after the 80**__**th**__** Annual Hunger Games.**_

Silyah Natho tightened her coat's collar around her neck, careful not to let her cold fingers brush her skin. After pulling up her hood, she dug her hands in her pockets and got out of her driveway. Even though she was feeling a bit better than during her first week back in her district, the girl was going through a tough period due to the snow which had begun to fall and stay on the ground. Each falling crystal brought the young woman back to her nightmares and to the arena. After five months and three weeks, the Hunger Games victor thought that she would have managed to heal most of her traumas, but as it turned out, she had started to wonder if they would ever leave her side.

Sighing, Silyah took a turn at the end of the street, kicking the small amount of snow on the ground with the tip of her black high-heeled boots. She blew a few snowflakes away from her face, seeing the faint trace of her breath in the air. Trying to clear her mind as much as possible, the brunette chose to concentrate on the route she now knew by heart; the road to the Fowl residence. Being only a few streets away from the Victors' Village, the stone house would soon become visible for the walking girl.

Once again losing to the power of her wandering mind, Silyah let her daydreams guide her to the metal gate surrounding the residence and she mindlessly punched in the code she had been entrusted with to open the barricade. After closing it behind her, the young woman quickly walked to the front door, giving it three knocks.

She could barely believe that not so long ago, it was _he _who had knocked at her door to change her life all over again...

* * *

_**Six weeks after Silyah's return from the Hunger Games**_

"May I come inside? It seems like you just got out of bed... I am sorry if I come at an inappropriate moment..." Those words had followed the raven-haired boy's introduction and had made Silyah snap back to the real world.

_Elijah Fowl._

The girl looked down at herself, mentally slapping her cheek, both to unfreeze herself and because she had greeted this newcomer who claimed to be a Fowl dressed in nothing but her nightwear and sporting the messiest hair-do she had ever worn. It was a miracle the young man had even recognized her; she was sure that she had not even looked that bad during the Games.

Still a bit stunned, Silyah invited the boy in, leading him towards the kitchen. "You can wait here and take a seat... I will... Get dressed..." she uttered, feeling her face getting red due to her embarrassment.

Elijah nodded. "Take your time."

About fifteen minutes later, Silyah emerged from her bedroom dressed in a black long-sleeved shirt and matching pants. She had tamed her hair as well as she could and went through the effort of looking a tad polished despite the fact that she felt like a mess on the inside.

After having walked back to the kitchen, she took a seat in front of Elijah. "So..." She eyed him.

The boy looked back at her, one of his eyebrows slightly raised, clearly waiting for her to say more.

"Elijah Fowl?" said Silyah slowly, having to take a deep calming breath after her statement. "Why should I believe you?"

"I don't see any reason as to why you shouldn't believe me," answered the dark-haired boy.

"I know quite a few..." whispered the girl. "Pressure from the Capitol, a mean-spirited prank, a test to see how mad I became," her voice was low and almost raspy.

"Miss Natho, while I can see the logic in those assumptions, I can assure you that none of them are the case," promised Elijah. "You have suffered quite enough as it is if you ask me, so I would not have come here unless it was an absolute necessity."

Somehow, that last sentence had not done anything to ease Silyah's worries. "Absolute necessity?" she nearly stuttered.

Elijah gave a small nod. "Yes... If it can help with proving my honesty, before I explain anything, I would like you to know that I am aware of time travel and the confusion it can sometimes cause."

The brunette felt her drumming heart sink down to her stomach. If he knew those things, his story was getting more and more convincing, which could only mean one thing... She could not yet voice her quickly shifting thoughts, and thus found herself staring at the young man in front of her, completely speechless.

"Are you alright, Miss Natho? I imagine this is not the easiest of conversations..."

The girl blinked a few times, nodding very slowly. "Where is this going?"

"I am sure you've got some theories regarding the answer to your question," said the boy, his blue eyes resting on hers.

Taking yet another breath, Silyah ran a hand through her long hair. "Go on," she requested dryly. Needless to say, the girl felt like plunging her head in a bucket of cold water. "Wait... First... I _need_ to know; _what is your link to Artemis Fowl_?" The young woman's voice threatened to give up on her when she spoke the last two words.

"Which Artemis Fowl are you referring to? I am assuming it's the second one," Elijah gave her a look, tilting his head ever so slightly, exposing his faintly pointed ear in the process.

Silyah swallowed back the lump in her throat. "Unless you haven't watched the Games, you know exactly which one," she replied, feeling as though she was being played with.

A vague smile found his way to Elijah's lips. "The second one, then," he nodded. "My 'link' to him is a rather direct one."

"How many years has it been? How many generations got to live before you?" she asked, distressed.

"Well, if my father's father's father was Artemis's son..."

Silyah was torn between sending the guy a deadly glare and collapsing on the table. Collecting all her inner strength, she chose the first option.

"I am Artemis's great-great-grandson, Miss Natho."

Silyah rested her elbows on the table, burying her face deep into her palms. "Why are _you_ here? And why _now_?"

"I am here now because you know about the People and those in charge of New Haven aren't so enthusiastic about that."

"Meaning?" Silyah glanced up and then looked away from the dark-haired boy, his familiar appearance only reminding her of what she had lost by saving a life.

"To put things simply; you either have to come with me and trust me, or have all memories of Artemis, Fairies and magic deleted from your mind."

The girl's eyes shot back up, taken aback by the drastic second option, but then she started to feel at war with herself. While her memories of Artemis were, for the most part, the most precious things she owned, she was, on the other hand, a mere broken girl; a Hunger Games' victor... One memory wipe could save her so much pain... However, there was another variable in the equation. Silyah got up from her chair and walked to the kitchen sink in which dishes were still piled. "I have to show you something."

A subtle frown appeared on Elijah's face. "Alright, but quickly, if you don't mind."

The girl grabbed a knife from the utensils, trying to suppress the flashes of her last day in the arena that usually accompanied such a gesture. Taking a deep breath, she placed the point of the knife on her index.

Elijah started to feel slightly uneasy as he saw the girl handle the silver blade. He hadn't pushed her too far, had he? He knew victors were often emotionally unstable... Thankfully, the girl didn't seem to have the intention of taking her life, or his for that matter. The raven-haired boy raised an eyebrow, observing the small red line that had appeared on the girl's finger.

As a drop of blood fell from Silyah's hand and into the sink, a pale blue spark escaped from the cut, sealing it shut in less than three seconds. "I might have accidentally taken something from Artemis before he left," she breathed.

Elijah let go of a light gasp as he realized what had just happened. He had not anticipated this turn of even at all... A minor flaw in his original mission... "You have magic," he mumbled, mostly just to confirm it to himself. "That's interesting, if not slightly alarming."

"Alarming?" Silyah tossed the knife back in the sink. "Just consider how alarming it was when they picked me up from the arena without a single scratch. The Capitol is on my back; they've got me on a case study, both for that and for the fact that I have yet to explain Artemis's last moment in the arena," she snapped, letting go of the steam that had been rising inside her.

Not wanting to upset the girl any further, Elijah chose to speak in a calm manner. "The People might do more than that, Miss Natho," he said. "If they deem you to be too much of a risk for their well being, they might eliminate all options save for the one in which they wipe your memories. They have gotten rather paranoid over the years."

"I don't want to forget. I can't. That's the last thing _he_ told me: 'Don't forget me.'" Silyah was now resolute about the idea.

"I know you don't, which is why it would be preferable if you came with us to New Haven on your free will. Once we get there, we will be able to get things sorted out with the Council and you might not have to lose your memories of Artemis. In fact, staying in New Haven might even enlighten you about him."

Silyah furrowed her brows. "Alright..." she said after a moment of silence. "However, what am I supposed to do with my victor status? I've got engagements, interviews, a tour and, most importantly, I have to pretend that everything about my life is as normal as a victor's life could be."

"That's the good thing about having easy access to fairy technology," said Elijah, his lips forming a smirk. The grin combined with the faint glint in his eyes, made him resemble Artemis Fowl the Second even more. "Given that a trip to New Haven would indeed look suspicious, I think that it would be a good idea for you to come with me so we can contact _them_ and temporarily sort things out."

"And who is 'them,' exactly?" Silyah lightly tilted her head to the right.

"The Fairy Council," said Elijah, staying a bit vague.

"Okay..." Silyah's head was spinning. She felt that her life would never, ever be the same again.

"A lot to take in, I imagine..." the boy sat up in his chair as he crossed his left leg over his right one. "I can speak with the people in charge and see how long they will allow you to walk around freely until they have to come for you in person."

"Come for me?" asked the girl, a dose of panic in her voice. She remembered the hovercraft and the caretakers who had tried to restrain her after the Games to feed her some morphling.

"Yes," Elijah gave a small nod. "But no need to panic, they won't harm you, they just need to act with caution. I will help you, they owe me."

Silyah walked back to the chair she had previously occupied, rattling her long nails on the table. "What have you got me in into?" she gritted her teeth, unsure as to whom she was asking the question to between Artemis's memory and Elijah.

"What have _I _gotten you into, Miss Natho?" asked the boy, raising an eyebrow at her.

Silyah was about to shrug away his statement, but she could not help herself. "To be fair, you're the one who's... _Family member _got me involved in this fairy business," she replied.

"And you believe that this situation is my fault?" Elijah sighed. "Perhaps I hold some of the responsibilities, but _you_ chose to save Artemis back in the Games."

"What would have happened if I had not saved him?" she retorted, now raising her own eyebrow. "You would certainly not have any responsibilities to take care of right now." _Ouch, that was bitter,_ thought the girl._ Is that who I am now; a bitter victor?_

Elijah looked at her, trying to hide the fact that her last comment had felt like a sting. "True, I would not be around to interfere with your life, but here I am, so we will both have to live with the decision you made."

The brunette furrowed her brows again. "So, what do you think the _council_ will require of me?" she asked, annoyed.

"For now and until we have this mess cleared up, you'll mosy likely have to act like everything is normal... Well, your definition of normal, of course. Eventually, you will have to go on your Tour since cancelling it would probably raise more suspicion than anything, however, I have a feeling they will request for someone to travel along with your group to keep tabs on you." Even though Elijah was only 16 years old, he spoke like someone double his age, much like the first Fowl Silyah had known.

"A bodyguard of some sort?" Silyah made a strange grimace. She would have to travel with the whole District 3 team and a fairy-protecting bodyguard?

"I'd say you'd be more like a guarded prisoner... Although, that will highly depend on who will be accompanying you."

_Prisoner!_ thought Silyah, feeling that a hysteria crisis was on its way. "Prisoner!"

"Not you, it's just the situation. It was the closest thing that came to mind. You will be... Held under observation just to be sure you won't say things you aren't supposed to," the boy corrected himself.

"Never in a hundred years will you see me betray Artemis," mentioned the girl, feeling a bit offended by the lack of trust the People seemed to have towards her.

"Well, technically, it's already been 119 years since he came back from the Games," corrected Elijah. "And they can't take any risks, for all they know, you could get upset and blurt something out by accident."

The remaining part of Silyah's rationality attempted to calm her down. "Fair point..." she said through clenched teeth. "But I've got one more question for you; if you don't think you are responsible of this situation, why are _you_ here?"

Elijah looked at her, a thoughtful expression printing itself onto his face. Why had he come? He could have waited for someone else to pick up the job... Maybe he wanted to do something new and different for a change, perhaps he was just bored and tired of his twin sister's constant talking and curious about this "mission." "Part of my job," he shrugged. "And obviously, I thought I had more chances of convincing you because of my resemblance to Artemis."

"They would actually want to hurt me..." mumbled Silyah to herself, her voice barely audible as she sank back down on her chair, clutching the aremèsia pendant hanging from her neck. "When Artemis told me about them, _the People_, he described them as his most precious allies and friends. They've changed since his time, haven't they?"

Elijah Fowl gave a short lifeless laugh. "Change is merely to tip of the iceberg. They aren't as peaceful as they used to be; if they see no other option, they will neutralize an enemy, but that is what near extinction and war does to a species, I suppose."

Silyah looked up to Elijah through her lashes.

"To save us both some time, may I suggest we go call them now?" offered the raven-haired boy.

The new victor tapped her nails on the table. She had the feeling that the answer to that question would change her entire future...

* * *

Silyah realized that she had been standing in front of the Fowl residence's open door for quite some time when Elijah's voice yanked her from her memories and back to the present. It hadn't taken too long before the door had been opened by the boy.

The brunette shook her head and looked over to the young man. He seemed tired, the slightly darker shade under his blue eyes made it noticeable. "Ah, Silyah, right on time. Come in," he stepped back, allowing her inside the house.

The girl walked in, removing her boots on the entrance's doormat.

"May I take your coat?" asked the boy.

"Yes, thank you," said Silyah, sliding the said coat off her shoulders and tucking her navy blue scarf into its sleeve.

Elijah took the girl's coat, arranging it on a hanger before putting it into the closet. He then gave the watch on his right wrist a short glance. "Actually, we have a few minutes before Kelp calls..."

Silyah fought against a sigh. Elijah hid a small smirk by turning his head away from the girl. He knew that Silyah wasn't the elf's biggest fan. "Care to wait in the living room?"

"Sure," nodded the girl, trailing behind Elijah. As she eyed every detail in the boy's house, she suppressed yet another sigh. It was unbelievable how much had changed in the five months and three weeks that had slowly passed between the Games and the present day.

* * *

_**Hey! Just letting you know that we know have a group on DeviantART called Take-2-Pay-4-1 and also a Tumblr of the same name! :)**_


	3. Chapter Two, The Fowls

_**Chapter Two, The Fowls**_

_**A few minutes after Silyah and Elijah's first encounter.**_

Silyah dragged her heels behind Elijah Fowl, still wondering why she had agreed to follow him to his house. _Oh, right_, he had very subtly implied that she was now considered a prisoner of the People. The girl rolled her eyes. "So, what will happen once we have called the fa – the People?" she inquired, avoiding the use of the word "fairy" to help her case.

"As I said earlier, we'll try to work out some dead-lines and then we'll see how things will pan out," replied Elijah, not exactly elaborating on the details.

"So we'll set the time I have left before I have to come to them?"

"Or before they come for you," nodded Elijah. "We will also plan how you'll get to spend your time until your meeting with the representatives of the People."

"Well that's nice," mumbled Silyah, once again using that strange bitter tone she had begun to use since she came back to District 3.

"No need for that tone," Elijah told her. "We're the good guys…"

Silyah raised an eyebrow. "If you say so," she retorted under her breath as the dark-haired boy lead her towards a gated house.

The residence behind the massive wrought iron gate was made of old, yet seemingly sturdy stones, which was covered in climbing vines from its first to its second floor. Oddly enough, the house, which would have looked out of place in a country like Panem appeared to have been built a long time ago and it truly belonged in the landscape. Seeing it, Silyah wondered how she could have possibly missed such a building while walking through District 3, but she then remembered that her memories had been the only ones left untouched after Artemis's departure.

Elijah smiled slightly. "We were always here… From your perspective, we weren't before the end of the Games since Artemis had not completed his timeline yet. When he was sent back, everything went back to how it was supposed to be." The boy's smile became a smirk.

The Hunger Games victor tried not to be affected by Elijah's statement. "Stop doing that," she murmured as she looked at the boy, seeing his all too familiar grin. "Sorry, but this is a bit of a traumatic experience…" she sighed. "First of all, there is this whole paradox to take in, and… Well, you look so much like him with that smirk on your face…"

"I'm afraid I didn't have a say in my genetic code, Ms. Natho," shrugged Elijah. "Now, this way." He opened the gate by entering a code on its digital keypad. "This might seem paranoid, but we have good reasons," he quickly explained.

"For once I understand you… I am no stranger to paranoia, _Mr. Fowl_," said Silyah as she followed Elijah towards the front door, wondering if being called "Mr. Fowl" would bug him as much as it had bothered Artemis. Due to the absence of dry remarks coming from Elijah, the young woman concluded that he didn't mind. Perhaps he was used to being called as such.

Once they reached the front of the residence, Elijah held the door open for Silyah.

"Thank you," uttered the girl quietly as she stepped inside the house. She had barely set a foot inside the dwelling that she was greeted by a clear and relatively loud voice.

"Oh my goodness! You're here at last!" rejoiced a girl with ebony hair and skin so light that there was no way to doubt the fact that her last name was Fowl. "I couldn't wait to officially meet you. I'm a big fan of yours. Well, how could I not be a fan; without you winning those Games, I would probably not even be here today." The girl's grin turned into a mischievous smile when she caught sight of Elijah. "Never in a hundred years I would have thought that you'd bring a girl back home," she giggled.

Elijah groaned. "Oh, be quiet Haley," he said under his breath. "Someone had to do it and they would not have trusted you to complete the task."

"Yeah, right," Haley raised one of her eyebrows. "Anyway," she sighed. "Nice to meet you," she told Silyah, coming up to her to shake her hand. "I hope my twin treated you nicely."

Elijah faintly muttered something that sounded like a bad word borrowed from the Gnommish lexicon.

"Well, I took it for granted that the Fowl boys were socially awkward with the ladies," replied Silyah, allowing a bit of humor and a sliver of hope to show through her voice since Haley seemed to be friendlier than her brother.

The Fowl boy in question gave her a look. "I am not socially awkward."

Silyah sent him his stare right back. "One of the first things you told me was that I would be a prisoner from now on," she said, causing Haley to let go of a small gasp and a chuckle.

"That's not what I said. I said that it was the closest thing I could imagine to describe what the Council had in mind." Elijah grumbled. "Females…"

"Hey watch it, mister," retorted Haley, sending her brother a serious look before cracking a small smile. "On another note, you better go to the conference room right now. You have a missed call from New Haven."

Elijah exhaled noisily. "Always so much to do these days, never a free moment…" He rolled his clear blue eyes. "Come on, Ms. Natho."

"See, that's a bit awkward," said Silyah, once again finding herself following Elijah. "Forget the 'Ms. Natho,' you can call me Silyah."

"I know… But first names aren't really… My thing… It feels too personal and…" Elijah sighed again. "You know how problematic that can become… _Silyah_…" The way he had spoken her name sounded so familiar to the girl that she was almost taken aback.

"Do you think that Caesar Flickerman and I are that close?" asked Silyah, trying to clear her mind by bringing the subject of conversation elsewhere. "We're barely acquainted, yet he still calls me by my first name every time we talk."

"Well, that's what Flickerman does," said Elijah. "I've never met him in person, thank goodness. Too eccentric of a character for me…"

"He's one of the very few Capitol residents who doesn't mind being seen with a District kid, so he's fine in my book."

"He might be, but he is still too extroverted for my tastes," commented Elijah as he made his way to the conference room's entrance.

"If you think that Caesar is extravagant, just try to picture Effie Trinket being at your side nearly 24/7," said Silyah, realizing that deep down, she missed the _fashionistic_ Effie Trinket. The woman was so… oddly colorful.

Elijah shivered internally. "She seems a tad nuts at times. I have seen her when she visited District 3, but I never properly met her," he told the brunette, closing the doors of the conference room behind her, completely oblivious to the fact that Silyah was no longer paying attention to him.

"Wow…" breathed the surprised girl, looking around the room as if she was seeing for the first time.

Elijah grinned. "Fancy, isn't it? We're still Fowls, after all."

A large glass table projecting low holograms was at the center of the room, which was just light enough to actually see where one was going, yet as dark as it was required to optimize the holographic projections' quality.

"I won't get to play with the tech, right?" presumed Silyah, giving in to one of her first passions as though she was a toddler wanting to play with her father's tools.

"Maybe later when we don't have important matters to address," said Elijah.

"Fair enough," replied the girl, trying not to look too pleased.

Elijah sat down in a chair, the section of the glass screen in front of him lighting up, making his face and eyes reflect its soft blue light.

"Should I sit down too or should I wait for an introduction?" wondered Silyah.

"Wait there," Elijah told her. "I'll see what Kelp wants first."

Silyah nodded as the boy's fingers began to run over some of the holographic keys to get the conference started.

From the depths of the underground city of New Haven, a certain Trouble Kelp, now Head of the Fairy Council, answered Elijah's call. "Morning," said the elf dryly as soon as his image appeared in the Fowl's conference room, looking as though he was seated in one of the leather chairs surrounding the table.

"No need to be hostile with me Chairman," murmured Elijah. "I know you have some sort of an old grudge towards my family, but please, lay that aside during professional conversations." No wonder he annoyed Trouble; save for his Panem accent, he sounded so much like Artemis to the LEPrecon Commander.

"Which reminds me, Holly says 'Hi,'" the holographic man rolled his eyes, mouthing something along the lines of: "_Professional,_" before clearing his throat.

"Tell her I send my regards," said Elijah, his tone like a businessman's, which was not too odd if one considered his ancestry. "Now… Haley told me you had called while I was away."

"Yes, she told me that you had left to get the girl who could pose us a threat and that you were yet to be back."

Hearing those words, Silyah could not help but furrow her brows.

"She _could have been_ a threat, but she hasn't been up to date and I am certain that it will remain this way," countered Elijah. "Actually, she can testify that by herself."

"Tell her to enter the conference area."

On that cue, Silyah approached the table, eyeing Elijah to get his approval. The boy gave her a brief nod and the brunette thus sat beside him, suddenly appearing as a hologram on the conference table in New Haven. "Good morning," she said politely.

The elf saluted her. "Commander Trouble Kelp, Head of the New Haven Council," he presented himself. "Good morning, ma'am."

"So you act polite with her… How interesting," commented Elijah under his breath.

Ignoring Elijah's observation, Silyah went on with the presentations. "Silyah Natho… Victor of the 80th Annual Hunger Games." The girl tried hard not to wince at her own official title.

"Foaly the Centaur," added a new voice as a face appeared beside Trouble Kelp's hologram. "Under-appreciated LEP tech genius, and if I may add, the very person who saved your life and Artemis's a few weeks ago."

"And here we go," Elijah rolled his blue eyes. "You can gloat later, Foaly," he told the centaur. "We have more important things to discuss today, remember?"

"Yes, yes," acquiesced Foaly. "However, I have to mention that I have been pulled from my grandfatherly duties to be in this call, so I think that I was entitled to a proper introduction."

Elijah pressed his thumb and index finger on the bridge of his nose, his patience running thin. "Well now that you have, Foaly, why don't we go on with the reason of this call?"

"Of course," said Trouble, also tired of Foaly's self-loving behavior. "As you know, we wanted to evaluate the level of danger we're currently exposed to because of this _mud girl_."

"What did he call me?" Silyah whispered to Elijah, unsure of how she should feel about this new nickname.

"It's one of the People's ways to say 'human.' It is kind of obsolete and quite rude," he explained, looking at Trouble. "Her name is Silyah Natho, Kelp."

"And if I may add," Silyah cleared her throat, "I don't think I qualify as a mere 'mud girl' anymore…" She brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

Trouble slightly tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "Why would that be?"

Elijah smiled a full-fledged vampire smirk.

"Well," began Silyah. "According to my theory, something happened during the last moment of the Games… I had to help Artemis go through the Ritual and… Because of the rush of emotions we both felt when we were sure that he was alive and about to be saved we… _Kissed_… Then, I felt something strange taking over me. If I am correct, it is at this precise moment that some of Artemis's magic transferred into me."

Trouble Kelp looked a tad shocked for a split second, but he quickly regained his commanding façade. "Do you have any proofs to support this statement?" he asked.

The girl turned to Elijah. "I have seen her heal small cuts," he confirmed. "She's not making it up, she does possess magic. I don't know how much she can do, but there were blue sparks."

"Therefore, if the secret you are trying to protect is both your existence and your magic, know that we are pretty much in the same boat now," stated Silyah. "Have my word; Elijah is the only one who knows about it, I have not even told my own parents." A realization suddenly struck the girl. "However…" she weighed her words carefully. "The Capitol might be onto something considering that when they picked me up from the arena, I was completely free of wounds."

"But no need to worry about that," added Elijah quickly. "They can easily be led off the trail," he said, as though he had some ties with the Capitol. "They won't draw any unwanted conclusions."

"The Capitol?" spat Trouble. "The people who have the ultimate power over Panem? Those who are not even bothered when it comes to using their citizens' lives at their own advantage?"

"Calm down, Kelp. Saying who they are and what they do won't change anything," retorted Elijah with a harsh voice. "I can deal with it. New Haven is as safe as it will always be under my family's guard."

"It's _Commander Kelp!_" snapped the elf. "And either way, as we previously discussed, this young lady must imperatively make her way to New Haven in District 13 and be kept in sight until she comes here. It is both for her safety and ours."

"I am fully aware of that, but you must keep in mind that, as a victor, Silyah must attend certain events, not to mention that it would raise suspicion if she were to suddenly leave District 3," Elijah turned to the pale-skinned girl at his side.

"We could wait until the Victory Tour," she offered.

"I suggest having someone watch over her until then. She could be accompanied to public events from now on, so you would be assured that she will not cause any scenes. Not that I think she will…" added Elijah, feeling the girl's squinting eyes falling on him.

"Any suggestions as to who that person could be?" asked Trouble.

"Myself, of course."

The LEP commander fell quiet for a moment. "You do seem to be already involved in this case…" observed the holographic elf.

"Indeed," confirmed Elijah. "It would spare you a lot of time to trust me; I am already in District 3 and I know how the surveillance of a person is to be handled."

"Hold on," interjected Silyah, who was already seeing a flaw in that plan. "If this whole thing is about not making a scene, how can we explain the fact that someone who happens to look like Artemis will follow me everywhere I go? Who could he possibly be?" she asked, pointing a thumb in Elijah's direction. "In this time, Artemis was believed to be Mayor Hewatt's adopted son. If I show up with someone who looks like him during public events, won't it be strange? Unless…" the girl paused, trying to put some order in her stream of thought.

"Unless what?" Trouble turned his attention to Silyah.

The girl now had Elijah's attention as well; he was curious.

"Unless we make this a family affair… Artemis had to be adopted for a certain reason, and here comes his family after his death, devastated over what happened and by how they were not there to support him through this tough time. The "current Fowls" could be Artemis's biological family…"

"Oh, I like this one! She's creative!" Foaly gave the girl a horsy grin.

"That would explain my likeness to him," nodded Elijah. "I'd be his younger… No, his older brother, actually. We could make this work."

"Older brother to his _great-great-grandfather_…" murmured Silyah, still feeling dizzy at the mention of Elijah's relationship to Artemis. "I'm sure that people could buy that if we can come up with a foolproof and plausible story regarding Artemis's adoption." The brunette silently praised herself for now being able to say _his_ name without feeling a pain in her chest.

"It's a decent solution," said Elijah. "I'll see if I can make up a reason…"

Silyah took a deep breath, scanning her brain for ideas. "Money?" she suggested at some point. "Never mind that, with a house like yours, who would we be kidding?"

"I might have an idea," Elijah looked at each of his interlocutors. "What if Artemis's mother was not my father's wife? He could have been given for adoption, but since he'd share a link on my father's side, he'd still be a Fowl," explained the 16-year-old.

"That could work," approved Trouble reluctantly.

"Oh, I know exactly who his mother should be." Silyah smirked, her expression clearly borrowed from a certain Fowl she had once known. "The mayor's wife," she told the group. "She died a while ago… If we can use a little bit of your People's _mesmer_, we can build a story to cover everything up and satisfy the Capitol's gossip. This is a bit extreme, but what if the mayor's wife had a relationship with Elijah's father and died shortly after having given birth to their baby? In order not to tarnish Hewatt's reputation, your father could have agreed to let him adopt the kid as his own."

"That's quite dramatic," needless to say, Foaly almost felt like clapping.

A smirk matching Silyah's made its way onto Elijah's lips. "Excellent. As far as the technical aspect goes, that can easily be done. The only thing is that we will have to get Father's approval first." Elijah glanced at the LEP commander. "The Capitol will have enough Fowl drama to deal with if we feed them that story."

"Indeed…" replied Kelp, the hand on his chin going to the bridge of his nose as Foaly asked Silyah if she had ever tried to write romance novels. "Rather than answering the centaur, tell me, _Silyah_, do your magical abilities extend to the _mesmer_, or will we have to bring some of our people to work on the mayor's case?"

Elijah gave a little cough. "I can take care of it on my own. As you know very well, I do possess the _mesmer_, Kelp," he then said, clearly feeling underrated.

The commander had heard the boy, but he was still waiting for Silyah's answer.

"I don't really know what I am capable of," admitted the girl. "However, I can easily 'break in' the mayor's house. We both mourn the same person, after all…" She slightly lowered her gaze. "Perhaps I could bring him some aremèsias from my garden. He would probably invite me in and I could introduce him to Elijah."

"After that, I could do some quick brain work and we'll be all set. This shouldn't give us any problems," said Elijah with a confidence that usually drove Trouble insane.

"First good news of the day." Trouble fought against the urge to roll his eyes; he was indeed bothered by Elijah's "Fowlesque" self-assurance.

"Rough day, then," Elijah smiled slightly.

"Elijah?" A soft knock came from behind the door of the conference room.

The boy's expression turned into a light frown. There were a few more points that needed to be discussed. "A second, Mother," he called out before looking towards Trouble and Foaly. "I will contact you again after sorting this out with my parents."

Trouble nodded. "Is it safe to say that, for now, the situation is under control?" His eyes fell into Silyah's. He was staring at her as though they both were present in the same room.

"As biased as I may sound, Artemis trusted me with his life and your People trusted him; I think it is safe to assume that you can do the same with me," replied the girl with a firm voice.

"Good," said the elf, oddly softly. "Then you have the official permission to go back to your daily activities for now. We will plan weekly calls with you from now on… As for you, Elijah, we'll speak again soon."

"I'll call," agreed Elijah before ending the conversation.

The door of the conference room then opened itself and a petite woman walked in. "Dinner is ready, sweetie," she told her son. "I took the liberty of preparing you a plate," she added, looking at Silyah. "Haley told me you were here," she explained.

"Mother, please, don't call me like that; I'm not a kid, I'm sixteen," muttered Elijah to the dark-haired woman. "Calling me 'sweetie' makes me sound like a three-year old."

"My apologies," laughed the woman. "Won't you introduce me to our guest?"

"Silyah, this is Elysande, my mother."

The girl got up from her chair and walked up to the newcomer. "Pleased to meet you," she said, shaking her hand. It seemed to her as though she had become an expert hand-shaker ever since her return from the Capitol.

"Likewise," replied Elysande. "Our family owes you a great deal," she smiled, then turned her head. "We better make our way to the kitchen before the food gets cold."

Elijah got up. "So, I take it that Father is home?"

"Yes, he arrived shortly after you did."

"Good, we have to have a word with the both of you."

The dark-haired woman furrowed her brows. As of lately, her son's brain seemed to be completely geared towards the "mission" he had accepted from the People. As a child, the boy had been a bit more laid back, just like his sister, but then one day and out of the blue, he changed. Slightly shaking her head, Elysande led the two teenagers to the dining room where two people were already seated.

"Saved you a spot," smiled Haley as she caught sight of Silyah. She patted the seat beside her own.

Elijah eyed his sister. Sometimes, her behavior was a complete mystery to him.

"Thank you, Haley," replied the blue-eyed brunette as she sat beside Elijah's twin sister, hoping that she remembered her name right.

"So, what did the People say? Are you as dangerous as a nuclear threat?" asked the raven-haired girl, her grin turning into a Fowl smirk.

Elijah sat down at his usual spot, still looking at his sister. Was she trying to be funny?

"Not quite," answered Silyah. "Or at least, I don't think so… Well, I now have to be followed and watched when I'm in public for safety measures… Does that make me a danger?"  
"Oh, let me guess, _he's _your watch dog?" Haley pointed towards her twin, who gave her a deadly gaze.

"I am not a _guard dog_, Hal," he blurted.

"If you say so," shrugged Haley, sharing an amused look with Silyah.

Elijah murmured something in Gnommish and turned to his food.

"Mind your language, son. Even Gnommish has its sensibilities," suddenly said the black-haired man seated at the end of the rectangular table.

The teenager lowered his gaze at once. "Yes, Father."

The man had a serious look on his face, but not exactly a severe one; once again, it was a trademark of the Fowl family. Although his son looked a lot like him, the resemblance between the young man's father and the boy Silyah had known during the Games was less obvious than the one he shared with Elijah… Well, that was until Elysande pronounced his name…

"Artemis, I believe that our son has something important to tell us, isn't that right?" All eyes went to Elijah.

The blue-eyed boy gave his mother the smallest of smiles. "Yes, it has to do with Ms. Na… Erm… Silyah… As she pointed out, Commander Kelp will not allow her to go to any public events without someone there to keep an eye on her…"

"Furthermore, we might have to make some modifications to your family history to explain Elijah's presence during those events," added Silyah as soon as she found her voice back; she was yet to be over the fact that the boy's father had been named after Artemis.

Not losing a second, Elijah rapidly explained the plan they had devised earlier to his listening parents.

"We came up with this idea on the spot," mentioned Silyah as soon as the boy was done. "I understand how this story could cause a scandal in your family, but it's still one of the most believable options."

"To be fair, this scandal would have fewer consequences than the one we are trying to avoid by putting this plan into action," Elijah hoped that his parents would approve of that reasoning.

"It is a logical plan," agreed Artemis Fowl the Third. "It has risks, but frankly, I'd rather face those risks and deal with them with your mother than seeing the other half of our family getting destroyed."

Silyah observed the man as he spoke and it was at this moment that she noticed something odd about this new Artemis; the man's ears were pointy. They were not like Elijah's, which were very faintly pointed and still acceptable by human standards; they were actually extremely close to those of the elf she had just talked to.

"Good, we'll start working on the application of the plan as soon as possible," said Elijah, pleased to have received his father's stamp of approval. He switched his attention to Silyah, noticing how the girl's eyes were on his father's ears. "Fascinating, isn't it? Elfin genes mixed with human DNA."

Silyah blinked a few times. "Let me get this straight…" she whispered slowly. "When Commander Kelp said: "Holly says hi," It was not only a friendly hello, am I correct?"

"She is my great-great-grandmother," confirmed Elijah.

Once again, the urge to dunk her head inside a bucket of freezing water hit Silyah. "She was Artemis's wife?" she managed to utter. "She's still alive?" she added, astonished.

"Of course, nodded Elijah. "She is an elf, her aging process is much slower than human's. She still looks very young, not a day over 40 human years."

Elysande Fowl looked at Silyah with eyes full of understanding. "We're sorry… This might be a lot to take in." She knew how the girl felt; when she had begun her relationship with Artemis the Third, she eventually had to learn about his peculiar family ancestry.

"It's okay…" Silyah shook her head. "I think…"

"It is merely how things are," said Elijah, rising from his chair. "Now, if you excuse me, we'll have to take back this talk in a few minutes. There are some other things I had to take care of today…"

"Am I supposed to follow you, or does this guard thing only work the other way around?" wondered Silyah, still not finished with her meal.

"I have to deal with private matters. I am sure that Haley will be more than pleased to give you a tour of the house."

"Indeed," smiled Haley. "The conference room is nothing compared to the living room."

Elijah sighed. "Be careful, Silyah, don't let my sister drag you into her chaotic mind."

"I'll take the warning, but believe me, I am sure that my mind is far more chaotic than hers," she replied with a tiny smile.

Elijah smirked, and then quietly left the room.

Silyah took a deep breath, mindlessly picking through the food-filled plate in front of her. She could not bring herself to think about the fact that with a single selfless gesture, she affected so many lives.

* * *

**Happy birthday to Marie-Pier (aka Mary), one of the two members of the Take-2-Pay-4-1 team! **


End file.
